Saturday, February 11, 2017 at 8:00 pm University of Connecticut School of Fine Arts KATHY MATTEA Anne D'Alleva, Dean and BILL COOLEY Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts Rodney Rock, Director Grammy Award-winning singer Kathy Mattea and her longtime collaborator, presents guitarist Bill Cooley, have shared one of Nashville's most musically rich partnerships for over two decades. The duo meets as old friends, welcoming you into "The Acoustic Living Room" to share songs and stories "The Acoustic Living Room" near and dear to their hearts – including Kathy's beloved classics such as "18 Wheels and a Dozen Roses," "Where've You Been?," and many other hits, plus a handful of more eclectic and often requested tunes Songs & Stories from her extensive catalogue, and a sprinkling of brand new material, all with reinterpreted for the duo format. Her 17 albums are woven through with bluegrass, gospel, and Celtic influences, and have garnered multiple CMA, KATHY MATTEA ACM, and Grammy Awards. A genuine storyteller, Kathy draws inspiration featuring from her Appalachian roots and is a torchbearer for often overlooked musical legacies like those of Hazel Dickens and Jean Ritchie. Her most BILL COOLEY recent album, Calling Me Home, is a collection of songs that celebrates the Appalachian culture of her native West Virginia and expands the vocabulary of acoustic roots music that has always served as her artistic center.

A native of Santa Barbara, CA, Bill Cooley is a stalwart Nashville veteran, called “ one of Nashville’s most respected sidemen” by Guitar Player magazine. After working with Merle Haggard in California in the early 80’s he moved to Nashville in 1985, and has toured and recorded with Reba McEntire, Alan Jackson, and Hal Ketchum. Bill has played guitar for Kathy Mattea on stage and in the studio for the past 20 years. As a songwriter he’s had his songs recorded by Kathy and Reba, among others. Cooley’s first CD, titled “Unravel’d”, was released in 1997 and nominated for Instrumental Album of the Year at the Nashville Music Awards (he lost to Chet Atkins!). Music Row magazine called it “a magical gem of a guitar record”, and Wood & Steel magazine said it was “a terrific acoustic guitar album- Unravel’d is satisfying in the way good music should be”. When Bill’s follow-up CD, “A Turn in the Road”, was released in 2004, Acoustic Guitar magazine wrote that “few guitarists cover as much musical ground as thoroughly as Bill Cooley does on his second solo disc”. According to Minor 7th.com, “Cooley’s forte is laying down any kind International Music Network of groove with just his fingers and six steel strings”. Bill was part of the 900 Division Street Nashville, TN 37203 core band that recorded Kathy’s Grammy-nominated “Coal” album, and (978) 283-2883 is now with her on tour in support of that project. In the spring of 2009 he www.imnworld.com released his third instrumental CD, “The Return Journey.”